The Function of Lips and Their Biological Significance

The Function of Lips and Their Biological Significance

Lipids are biological molecules and are insoluble in aqueous solutions

but are soluble in organic solvents. Specific lipids have a

physiological importance to humans; they have three major functions;

serving as structural components of biological membranes, act as

vitamins and hormones, provide energy storage (triaculglycerols).

Lipids are made up of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Lipids

can exist as fats, oils and waxes. Fat and oils are similar in

structure as they are triglycerides, however, they physically differ

at room temperature fats are solid and oils liquid. Their differences

in property are what help contribute to its significance in life.

A triglyceride consists of fatty acid chains which are attached to a

glycerol molecule; fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms, the first

carbon atom is attached to an OOH group resulting in a carboxylic

group (COOH). The normal length of the chain is roughly 14 to 22

carbons long, with the most common chains being between 16 and 18

carbons long.

Triglycerides can occur with two types of bonding. Saturated

triglycerides have no double bonds between the carbon and the

hydrogen. Unsaturated triglycerides have one or more double bonds, and

fats containing several double bonds are called polyunsaturated. One

of the characteristics of unsaturated fatty acids is the fact that

they melt at a low temperature due to the double bonds. This is

significant in the manufacture of margarine and butter spreads as

polyunsaturated products are more beneficial as they are kept in

refrigerators for storage.

Lipids are signific...

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... metabolised or stored via the blood plasma combined wit soluble

proteins.

Waxes are, finally, the other form of lipids. They are esters formed

from a fatty acid and a complex alcohol. These are produced by plants

and help to limit water loss through evaporation, as form a waxy

cuticle. Wax is secreted by insects for the same role on the outer

surface of their cuticle. Bees use wax in the honeycomb cells they

build for rearing their larvae and storing honey.

Conclusively lipids are highly significant in many life processes. The

creation of lipids allows both plant and animal life to carry out

vital functions in order to maintain life. Without lipids our bodies

would be polluted from cells being invaded by substances that

shouldn’t enter and thus is an extremely important component for the

sustenance of life.